Downtown West

Location and General Characteristics

Downtown West neighborhood is the core of downtown Minneapolis. It extends from the Mississippi River to 12
th Street and from Third Avenue North, Washington Avenue North and Hennepin Avenue to Portland Avenue, Fifth Street South and Fifth Avenue South.

With the bulk of office building space in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, downtown is home to many corporate headquarters and hotels. Nicollet Mall – very active with restaurants and shopping – runs south from Washington Avenue. Hennepin Avenue has a concentration of theaters and entertainment. The neighborhood is home to the Minnesota Orchestra, located on Nicollet Mall. The orchestra was founded in 1903 and is well-known at home and abroad.

Nicollet Mall is the center of downtown. The area has a concentration of retail and office buildings along the street. Buildings in downtown Minneapolis are connected by a system of glass-enclosed bridges, the skyways, which help to keep activity during the cold Minneapolis winters.